AJ Steward, Offensive Analyst, Kansas teaches an essential Tite Zone development drill that teaches running backs to identify and hit holes confidently. Improve RBs' spatial awareness and decision-making skills in the run game.
The video includes practice film with coaching points as well as film of game application of the drill.
The video is a portion of Coach Steward's presentation on RB/Tite Inside Zone and is one of the eight lessons from the AJ Steward Running Back system on Glazier Drive.
Takeaways from this presentation:
We're ultimately trying to create spatial awareness with these drills as well as create muscle memory in pressing heels and all the little intricacies of the scheme.
The first drill I like to work on is what I call the "wind back." I don't call it a cutback because "cutback" suggests to the running back that they need to automatically jump-cut, which isn’t always the most efficient way to get vertical.
A one-foot cut is more efficient, and that’s what I try to facilitate. So, I focus on our tempo to the line of scrimmage, pressing the heels of the line, and then making a one-foot cut. Sometimes a jump cut is necessary, but that’s why I use the term "wind back" and not "cutback."
The key coaching points in this drill are track, being square at the mesh, pressing the heels, and making a one-foot cut.
When working on the "wind back," our base alignment is the outside foot on the inside foot of the tackle. We open, crossover, and stay square at the mesh. Staying square at the mesh prevents disqualifying ourselves from a cut on the field and allows us to move through any A, B, C, or D gaps on either side.
We use agility markers to represent the line, and I like using pop-ups to help running backs develop vertical awareness. When these players arrive from high school, they often believe they need a huge gap to feel comfortable getting vertical. So, we structure the drill to exaggerate and force them to understand that getting skinny may be their best vertical option. Everything we do is with a vertical mentality.
In summary, the drill's focus on creating spatial awareness, maintaining verticality, and facilitating efficient cuts that maximize opportunities to get through the line quickly and effectively.
